Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Bike

With a dual design pedal, the Stamina Elite Total Body can be used by everyone, regardless of how athletic they are. With a price tag that ranges between $600 and $700, this machine is equipped with professional-quality features that will help you lose between 300 and 500 calories if you use the bike only and between 500 and 800 calories if you add the rotating upper body handles to your workout.

Comfort Level

Unlike other home fitness machines, this particular model does have a decent level of comfort that will help you indulge in longer training sessions. The seat is entirely adjustable and can be moved forwards and backwards depending on the individual height of each user. The machine can fit athletes from 5’ and 6.5’. The seat is quite nicely padded and can keep you comfortable and pain-free for up to 2 hours. If your workout exceeds 2 hours, you might want to use a cushion. There is ample room between the armrests to suit obese users. The backrest is also fairly comfortable and will help you adopt the proper ergonomic posture. Pulse sensors are built in the handlebars which are textured to prevent your fingers from slipping. By the same token, the rotating upper body handles are also lightly textured for a firmer grip, especially during more energetic workouts.

As far as the pedals are concerned, they are wide enough to fit just about any shoe size. They are also equipped with flexible rubber straps to wrap around your ankles. Additionally, users will also be able to benefit from a built-in water bottle holder that will save you the hassle of repeatedly having to interrupt your workout for a drink.

Features and Specifications

The Stamina Total Body has the following specifications:

Machine Dimensions: 49 x 24 x 52 inches

Machine Weight: 121 pounds

Maximum User Weight Capacity: 250 pounds

Resistance: Adjustable magnetic

Resistance Levels: 8

Water bottle holder: Yes

Transport wheels: Yes

The Total Body’s most acclaimed feature is undeniably the upper body rotating handles. With this particular feature, you can lean forwards and work both your upper and lower body at the same time as you pedal with your hands and feet. The upper body handles specifically targets the shoulders, back muscles, upper arms and torso. Since this bike runs through a magnetic resistance, users will benefit from a smooth and relatively quiet operation. Athletes can choose between 8 different levels of tension to adopt your own pace or alternate between low and high resistance. However, the 8 levels of resistance can fall below par to athletes who want to benefit from a more challenging training session.

You can adjust the tension through the relatively large LCD console located at the front of the machine. This console is also designed to provide you with a breakdown of your fitness data such as the number of calories burned, pulse, heart rate, distance covered and the time. Most users found that it was easy to view the screen from a distance, especially because of the back-lit feature.

Ease of Use

The Stamina Total Body has a step-through design which is a plus for users with mobility issues since they don’t have to try and hoist themselves up on an upright recumbent seat. The features are also fairly easy to understand and operate, even for users with no prior experience. The only downside to the machine’s ease of use is the coordination that you will need to master if you plan on using both the hand and feet pedals at the same time. The multi-function screen also includes self-explanatory keys and very few users had issues with it.

Assembly and Parts

The assembly process was admittedly a bit complicated for novice users because of the upper body rotating handles. Some users found that they needed up to 2 hours to set it up, even with the detailed and illustrated instructions booklet that was included in the boxed packaging. Others claimed that it was less time consuming if two people participated in the assembly process instead of just one. On the plus side, however, you will receive the bolts, wrenches and other tools that are required to set up the machine at home. This model is also on the heavier side so it’s advisable to assemble it in the same room- or the same floor at the very least- in which you plan on using it.

Drawbacks

A few drawbacks have been reported about this particular model in spite of its high rating. The main complaint was related to the seat adjustment. While the majority of users found that the seat was well-padded and comfortable, they claimed that it was difficult to move it forwards or backwards to adjust it to their individual height. This is because they had to get off the machine and manually gauge the distance between the pedals and the seat before getting back on. Some users also complained about the lack of mobility: while this machine comes with transport wheels in the front, it is quite heavier than average and several users encountered issues when the wanted to move it around.

Overall

In spite of the drawbacks, this is still an excellent quality machine that’s worth the price- if you can afford to splurge. If, however, you’re looking for a cheaper option, the Velocity Exercise Dual Motion is also worth considering. The Stamina Elite is designed to last for several years and will easily allow you to benefit from a balanced and efficient workout. Consequently, you won’t need to buy another fitness machine since it will provide you with an entire body workout. Designed to target most muscle groups of your body, the Stamina Elite Total Body does not claim a lot of floor space in spite of its weight. It is covered by a 5 year warranty on the frame and 1 year on all parts.